Newsline

Hilbert Volleyball Opens UVC Play

Release Date:

February 7, 2011

Contact:

The Office of Sports Information

(716) 649-7900 ext. 333

Buffalo, NY – Despite a 16 kills, five dig and three service ace effort from freshman Adam Weaver (Stow, OH/Archbishop Hoban) Hilbert College men’s volleyball team dropped its United Volleyball Conference (UVC) opener to SUNYIT 3-0 (25-20, 27-25, 25-19) at D’Youville College February 5. In the second contest of the weekend, this time played Sunday at Medaille College’s Sullivan Center, the Hawks fell to sixth-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ) 3-0 (25-13, 25-16, 28-26) with leadership from senior setters. After the weekend, the Hawks drop to0-7 and 0-2 in UVC.

SUNYIT had Hilbert’s number earning their second consecutive three-set sweep of the Hawks in this short season to date. Jeff Coon had a .60 hitting percentage as well as two service aces, but it was Ryan Meller’s 13 kills and seven blocks to lead the Wildcats to victory. RJ Sykora (Stow, OH/Stow-Munroe Falls) passed for 16 assists, most of them to Weaver in the first two sets.

On Sunday, Sykora and fellow senior, Dan Wolfe (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit) shared setting duties passing for a combined total 32 of the team’s 33 assists. Sykora’s six kills, five dig, 17 assist and .214 hitting percentage led the balanced attack. Weaver pounded the ball for 15 kills while sophomore libero Gary Gawera (Eden, NY/Eden) found a team-high six digs for the Hawks. Stevens’ Jon Rohan hit .412 with 11 kills and five digs helping the Ducks grab their first UVC win in two tries improving to 7-2 overall.

Hilbert travels to cross-town rival Medaille College February 9 for a 7pm non-conference game against a UVC opponent. Then the Hawks will travel to Beverly, MA to participate in the Endicott College ten-team tournament over the weekend of February 12 and 13.

Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With nearly 1,100 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs and new Accelerated Degree Programs geared to adult learners.